Portable plastic film wrapping system

#The present invention relates generally to plastic film wrapping apparatus for wrapping palletized loads or products, and more particularly to a new and improved plastic film wrapping apparatus or system which is portable, relatively simple in structure, and readily enables the manually controlled wrapping of palletized loads or products with plastic wrapping film while ensuring a high degree of safety for operator personnel.

#As has been noted within previously filed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/432,284, which was filed on Nov. 2, 1999 and in the name of Hugh J. Zentmyer et al. for an APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANUALLY APPLYING STRETCH FILM TO PALLETIZED PRODUCTS, it is a known fact that approximately fifty percent (50%) of all stretch film that is manufactured is applied to, for example, palletized loads or products by manual means. It is also known that when applying such stretch film to, for example, palletized loads or products, the manner in which such stretch film is manually applied to such loads or products usually comprises either one of two methods. In accordance with a first one of such manual methods, as illustrated, for example, within U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,884 which issued to Stanford on Mar. 21, 1995, the operator respectively inserts four fingers of each hand into each one of two oppositely disposed recessed portions defined within the film core end caps so as to effectively hold or grasp the film roll, and while placing his thumbs upon outside surface portions of the film roll, so as to effectively cause a predetermined amount of back tension to be applied to the film whereby the film is effectively stretched as the film is being unrolled or dispensed from the film roll, the operator walks around the palletized load or product. In accordance with a second one of such manual methods of applying a stretch film to such palletized loads or products, as illustrated, for example, within U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,841 which issued to Shirrell on Oct. 17, 1995, and in lieu of directly holding or grasping the film roll, the operator holds or grasps a film roll dispensing or holding device which has a built-in tensioning mechanism. In accordance with either one of the aforenoted modes, methods, or manners in which stretch film is applied manually to the palletized products or loads, several operational drawbacks or disadvantages common to both methods or modes were apparent. Firstly, for example, the film roll, or the film roll and film roll dispensing or holding device, must be supported by the operator personnel, and yet the film roll and the film roll dispensing or holding device are quite heavy and cumbersome. In addition, in order to fully wrap a palletized load, the operator must bend down while holding the film roll, or the film roll and film roll dispensing or holding device, in order to wrap the film around the lower extremity portions of the palletized loads or products. Such requirements upon the operator personnel have been noted to cause acute discomfort, fatigue, and stress-related injuries. In addition, the operators experience fatigue and discomfort even when the operators are wrapping the upper regions of the palletized loads or products due to the continuous need for supporting the entire weight of the film roll, or the film roll and film roll dispensing or holding device.

#A need therefore existed in the art for an apparatus, and for a method of operating the same, for overcoming the various operational disadvantages or drawbacks characteristic of the known PRIOR ART systems as briefly discussed hereinbefore and as disclosed within the aforenoted patents, and this need was substantially met by means of the apparatus or system, and the method of operating the same, which has been disclosed within the aforenoted U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/432,284 and which has been quite commercially successful. However, while it has been noted in such aforenoted patent application that the apparatus or system disclosed within the aforenoted U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/432,284 is portable in that the same is mounted upon a platform which has wheels, rollers, or the like so as to render the same movable or mobile, the apparatus is nevertheless relatively large and not readily transportable so as to, in turn, not be readily or easily movable within a particular wrapping plant or facility, or even yet further, readily or easily transportable between different wrapping plants or facilities located at different production sites.

#Various other objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

#FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a new and improved portable plastic film wrapping apparatus or system which has been constructed in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention and which shows the cooperative parts thereof for use in connection with the wrapping of palletized loads or products within plastic wrapping film, except that the wrapping film supply roll holder and dispensing mechanism have been removed;

#FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the new and improved portable plastic film wrapping apparatus or system as disclosed within FIG. 1, except that the wrapping film supply roll holder and dispensing mechanism have been illustrated;

#Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1-3 thereof, a new and improved portable plastic film wrapping apparatus or system, constructed in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention, is disclosed and is generally indicated by the reference character 10. The apparatus or system 10 is mounted upon a movable cart which renders the entire apparatus or system 10 portable and transportable, and it is seen that the movable cart comprises a chassis 12 which is adapted to be rollably supported and moved along a floor or ground region 14 by means of a pair of laterally or transversely spaced, non-pivotal rear wheels 16,16, and a pair of laterally or transversely spaced, pivotal or steerable front caster wheel assemblies 18,18. As best seen from FIG. 2, the chassis 12 substantially comprises a rear chassis section 20 upon which the rear wheels 16,16 are rotatably mounted, and a front chassis section 22 upon which the front caster wheel assemblies 18,18 are mounted. The chassis 12 further includes a side frame member 24, and it is seen that the rear and front chassis sections 20,22 are separated from each other along side frame member 24 so as to effectively define a recessed region 26, between the chassis sections 20,22, within which the lower end portion of a vertically upstanding mast member 28 is adapted to be disposed. More particularly, as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lower end portion of the upstanding mast member 28 is adapted to be fixedly secured, for example, by means of suitable bolt fasteners, not shown, to a box-beam type support or mounting bracket 30, and the box-beam type support or mounting bracket 30 is, in turn, adapted to be fixedly secured, for example, by means of suitable bolt fasteners, also not shown, to the chassis side frame member 24.

#The vertically upstanding mast member 28 comprises a hollow, box-beam structure having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional configuration, and a film roll carriage 32, also having a substantially hollow structure having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional configuration, is adapted to be movably disposed upon the upstanding mast member 28 in an annularly surrounding relationship. In order to readily facilitate the upward and downward movements of the film roll carriage 32 upon the external surfaces of the upstanding mast member 28, a plurality of NYLON® rollers 34 are rotatably mounted upon interior portions of the film roll carriage 32 so as to rollably engage the external surface portions of the upstanding mast member 28. The film roll carriage 32 of course has a film roll mounting and dispensing assembly 36 mounted thereon, and the film roll dispensing and mounting assembly 36 has a supply roll of wrapping film 38 removably mounted thereon as disclosed within FIGS. 2 and 3, a spare supply roll of wrapping film also being disclosed at 38′ in FIG. 3.

#The weight of the film roll carriage 32, the film roll mounting and dispensing assembly 36, and the roll of wrapping film 38 is adapted to be counterbalanced by means of a counterweight 40, which is actually slightly heavier than the combined weight of the noted components comprising the film roll carriage 32, the film roll mounting and dispensing assembly 36, and a full roll of wrapping film 38 including its core. It is noted that the counterweight 40 is adapted to be mounted internally within the hollow upstanding mast member 28, and the counterweight 40 may comprise either a solid block or a plurality of plates separably secured together. As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, the film roll carriage 32 is adapted to be operatively connected to the counterweight 40 by means of a NYLON® web belt 42 wherein the opposite ends of the belt 42 are respectively connected to the film roll carriage 32 and counterweight 40 by means of suitable releasable fasteners 44,46, and it is noted further that the web belt 42 is adapted to be routed over a pulley 48 which is rotatably mounted upon a suitable bracket, not shown, which is integral with the upper end portion of the mast member 28. It is also noted, as can best be appreciated from FIG. 3, that the end of the web belt 42 that is adapted to be connected to the film roll carriage 32 by means of releasable fastener 44 is actually connected to an upper one of a pair of bracket arms 50 which integrally connect or mount the film roll mounting and dispensing assembly 36 to or upon the film roll carriage 32.